Roman cloaks - a question!

[Cheyenne]

Hi Graham,

I did end up buying your book from the Ian Allen shop in Manchester - I was just not flushed with too much spare cash when I chatted with you at Vindolanda. Its essential for my clothing business! It's certainly allowed me to avoid having to pay huge sums of money on journal subscriptions...

I was studying the book and I didn't find any reference to paenula actually having clavii woven into them (the semi circular versions), whereas sagum styles did - I know what you mean about most re-enactors using rather small pieces for their cloaks - as I said in an earlier post - a new chlamys project based on info in your book took over 4 m of material - and that was without the tablions!!

Claire

[Graham Sumner]

Hi Claire

"I did end up buying your book from the Ian Allen shop in Manchester - I was just not flushed with too much spare cash when I chatted with you at Vindolanda. Its essential for my clothing business! It's certainly allowed me to avoid having to pay huge sums of money on journal subscriptions..."

I am really pleased to hear my book is of use. It makes the whole thing seem worthwhile. If you can get hold of the articles by H.Granger Taylor mentioned in the bibliography you will find them of use as they have more technical details. One of the paenula cloaks depicted has a single plain band rather than the clavi. If I had been able I would have included more colour illustrations which perhaps would have made the point clearer.

"I was studying the book and I didn't find any reference to paenula actually having clavii woven into them"

Cloaks, in particular paenula, with clavi are mentioned on pages 83,88,123 and 129. One example is illustrated in the colour plates the Pompeii tavern painting illustrating a soldier in a paenula cloak.

Hope this helps.

Graham.

[Cheyenne]

Cheers for the info graham - I'll revisit those - are we to say that Paenulas with Clavii or woven bands are the acception rather than the rule? Or the other way round?

[Graham Sumner]

are we to say that Paenulas with Clavii or woven bands are the acception rather than the rule?

From what little evidence I have seen that could well be the case.

Graham.